Posted on 10/19/2006 5:44:54 PM PDT by split
FORT WORTH, Texas - After a Baptist pastor said in a chapel service at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary that he sometimes speaks in tongues when he prays, seminary trustees adopted a resolution Tuesday that states the institution will not tolerate the promotion of the practice of speaking in tongues.
The resolution: "Southwestern will not knowingly endorse in any way, advertise, or commend the conclusions of the contemporary charismatic movement including private prayer language. Neither will Southwestern knowingly employ professors or administrators who promote such practices."
Speaking in tongues is described in the Bible as a spiritual gift from God that empowers humans to speak in other languages. But many contemporary theologians teach that the practice was distinctly for first-century Christians. However, in the past century, Pentecostal and charismatic Christians have contended that speaking in tongues should be practiced in today's churches.
Patterson said he has consistently maintained a different view.
"I have opposed (speaking in tongues) for all of these years because I think it's an erroneous interpretation of the Bible," he said. "Southern Baptists traditionally have stood against what we feel like are the excesses of the charismatic movement. All we're doing is restating where we've always been."
Baptists are "the most intense advocates of religious liberty," Patterson said, defending the right of other Christians to believe in speaking in tongues. "But don't wear a Yankee uniform when you play for the Mets."
"We interpret the Scriptures in such a way that we do not see room for a private prayer language and we're saying we will not waver on that," Redmond said.
(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...
I'm meeting more and more people associated with these kinds of churches and self-appointed "pastors". It wouldn't bother me in the least if they would leave me alone about religion. Some of them seem obsessed with it.
HOW do you know speaking in tongues is from GOD? HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS, let alone WHAT they are saying when they "speak in tongues"? Me thinks you have a lot of explaining to do.
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Scripture is rather clear on that score . . .
that which; those who confess that Jesus came in the flesh; died; rose etc. are of God.
BTW, There's no twisting of St Paul's words at all. Just taking them plainly as he wrote them as edification for BELIEVERS.
NOT assuming, presuming and distorting them by inferences and extrapolations all out of whack.
= = = =
Twisting and extrapolating as above is not edifying to me. Nor do I consider it Biblical.
Holy Spirit is often doing new things. It's sad that some folks miss out on them. But He's gearing up to participate with God in doing a LOT of new things in these END TIMES.
The perspective above makes Holy Spirit out to have gone fishing or sleeping once the Canon was closed . . . or was it several hundred years later after the Canon was decided on? Or has He merely reduced Himself to becoming a broken record on autoplay?
Wonderful testimony. Thanks.
And, right you are . . . none are so blind as those who will not see. And without an AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE
AND/OR HOLY SPIRIT MOVING UPON THEM SUPERNATURALLY . . . they are unlikely to choose to see or allow Him to remove their blindness.
My perspective stated in response may have been a spring board to an amplification of a part of my perspective vs a specific reply to a specific stimulus.
Certainly, if the shoe doesn't fit, don't wear it. I tend to write only to those for whom the shoe fits.
It is NOT the speaking of gibberish as some say and do today.
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St Paul disagrees. He spoke of speaking/praying WITH his understanding AND WITHOUT.
Of tongues of men
and tongues of angels.
Seems pretty clear, to me. Needing no off the wall extrapolations, assumptions and arbitrary inferences to derive Holy Spirit's meaning in Paul's words.
Please be sure you know whether your a cynic or a skeptic. One is a healthy thing and the other is not
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Excellent, discerning, perceptive, thoughtful, wise exhortation. Thanks.
I also think God often has as difficult or worse time with cynics than He does with fools.
1Cor 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Of whom are you speaking when you say "he"?
St Paul disagrees. He spoke of speaking/praying WITH his understanding AND WITHOUT.
Of tongues of men ( he was knowlegable in Greek, Hebbrew and Latin.)
and tongues of angels. (He was taken to the third heaven and heard other languages.)
Interesting that so-called tongues should disappear for 1900 years till revived at the Azuza St mission, then many jumped on the "me too! Me Too! bandwagon.
And sadly, too much fraud has acompanied it.
"Tongues of Men and Angels" by William J. Samarin, an anthropolgist, written from a linguistic approach, suggested reading.
And similar authors.
Fraud abounds in all denominations. I've seen plenty.
But the gifts of The Spirit did not disappear for 1900 years. They clustered in a remnant during some decades but God always had a remnant that's been traceable by scholars.
I doubt if you'd find "Charisma of the Spirit in Search of a Supernatural Experience: A Journalist looks at the Tongues Movement", by Rene Noorbergen (Seventh Day Adventist) to your liking. It is an obscure little book, happened to be on the shelves of the public library, of all places, as well as Samarin's book and others. Samarin came across as being pretty objective and non-biassed, although I suspect he may not be an ardent believer in any form of Christianity, could be wrong about that.
I've got books in favor of tongues as well.
***Some folks that evening got gold fillings, others silver and others evidently white porcelain.***
There was a man I worked with. He had a mentally retarded daughter that his tongues and signs and wonders church claimed they would heal her with prayer. They prayed, prayed, prayed. Nothing happened.
So, they called on a bigger "healing" preacher to come and heal her. He came and prayed, prayed, prayed.
Nothing happened.
Because they could NOT heal her, he lost his faith and now is a full blown atheist.
Again, the tongues are merely people who speak foreign languages and need a translator.
And God certainly understands that you are limited to such a primative language too.
Says who? You?
Where does the Bible suggest we do it, TODAY? More specifically, where does it say we shouldn't?
Ah, but tongues ARE in the bible. And nowhere does the bible say they are one of the "don'ts". It very plainly says the exact opposite. You are picking and choosing based upon your own limited understanding.
I doubt anyone would or could understand it. The bible tells us that to speak in such a "prayer language" is edifying the spirit. I have always understood this somewhat along the lines of the "spirit bearing witness" as our spirit is bearing witness to the Holy Spirit who is dwelling within us.
Ah, but the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Could it not be a manifestation of Him "giving us the words to speak" in our prayer life?
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